Study Desk

And Jehovah said to Moses, The heart of Pharaoh is heavy; he refuses to send away the people.

Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Behold, he is about to go out to the water. And you stand to meet him on the lip of the river. And you shall take in your hand the staff that was turned into a snake.

And you shall say to him, Jehovah the God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, Send away My people, so that they may serve Me in the wilderness. And, behold, you have not listened until now.

So says Jehovah, By this you shall know that I am Jehovah: Behold, I am about to strike the water in the river with the staff in My hand, and it shall be turned to blood.

And the fish in the river will die, and the river will stink, and the Egyptians will become weary of drinking water from the river.

And Jehovah said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Take your staff, and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over the rivers, over their canals, and over their pools, and over every body of their waters, so that they may become blood. And blood shall be in all the land of Egypt, both in wooden and in stone vessels.

And Moses and Aaron did so, as Jehovah had commanded. And he lifted up the staff and struck the water which was in the river before Pharaoh's eyes, and before his servants' eyes. And all the water in the river turned to blood.

And the fish in the river died, and the river stunk. And the Egyptians were not able to drink water from the Nile. And the blood was in all the land of Egypt.

And the magicians of Egypt did so by their secret arts. And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as Jehovah had said.

And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. And he did not set his heart to this also.

And all the Egyptians dug around the river to drink water, for they were not able to drink from the water of the river.

And seven days went by after Jehovah smote the river.